“I am confident the new regulations will add to the excitement of Asia's flagship national team competition and further strengthen the AFC's ambitions to be the world's leading Confederation,” AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said in a statement.

The same rule will also apply at the AFC U19 Championships, starting next week in Indonesia, as well as next year's AFC U19 Women's Championship and the AFC U23 Championship in Thailand in 2020, the AFC said.

In July, Russia midfielder Aleksandr Erokhin became the first player to come on as the fourth substitute at a World Cup when the host went to extra time against Spain.